As the demand for integrated circuits having ever-small device features continues to increase, the need for improved illumination sources used for inspection of these ever-shrinking devices continues to grow. One such illumination source includes a laser-sustained plasma source. Previously, laser sustained plasma light sources have long been configured to decouple infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light using a cold mirror. Such a cold mirror is formed from a dielectric material designed to transmit selected wavelengths, while reflecting other wavelengths. For example, a cold mirror can be configured to reflect light from the laser pumping source and transmit collected light emitted by the plasma. Although the manufacturing of such a broadband dielectric mirror is challenging, it continues to be the method of choice for visible and near-UV light spectral ranges. Currently available materials make it impossible to achieve a design of an efficient dielectric broadband mirror at spectral regimes below 200 nm. For instance, broadband mirrors in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) range (i.e., wavelength below 190 nm) are typically formed from a metal, such as aluminum, and are not transparent typical pump laser wavelengths. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system and method that avoids the complicated cold mirror coatings and cures the deficiencies described above.